SoNoCC eyed as ‘satellite’ school site for after-school programs

NORWALK, Conn. – It appears that the South Norwalk Community Center is being eyed for after-school programs run in conjunction with Norwalk Public Schools.

“What I want to do is operate at least one and hopefully two satellite after-school centers, learning centers, in the South Norwalk community,” Schools Superintendent Manny Rivera said Tuesday to the Board of Education.

Satellite learning centers are mentioned in Rivera’s PreK-5 Literacy and Comprehensive Plan and Recommendations. He said he is thinking of a Norwalk district called “99.”

“It needs to change,” he said.

There is no home school in South Norwalk, he said.

“So they have to make their choices for a school,” he said, “sometimes – we’re going to change this – after everyone else is placed. Not anymore. We’re going to make sure those families have a right to choose.

“A lot of them have to get on buses and go to schools,” he continued. “Because of that, they don’t necessarily have access to after-school programs that exist at those schools because they get on a bus and they go home. What I want to do is operate at least one and hopefully two satellite after-school centers, learning centers, in the South Norwalk community, and even (on) Saturday mornings. Whether we use a church, a community center, in home neighborhoods to provide easier access for children to come in and continue to learn.”

Former Common Council member and community leader Warren Peña, president of the South Norwalk Community Center (SoNoCC), spoke at the meeting in support of Rivera’s plan.

The achievement gap has narrowed but is still too wide, he said, mentioning Rivera’s goal of closing it by 2020. He advocated for all of Rivera’s 10-point plan to be implemented, including the use of libraries and community centers.

“We might be able to provide some solid after-school programs, Saturday programs. It’s providing some more, obviously, programs, in particular in the area of English in the South Norwalk community,” he said. “… We are pleased, I know, from our perspective, the community center’s perspective, we are pleased to partner with this effort and we look forward to reaching some of these goals by 2020.”